Packers receiver Jones talks a good game

Packers receiver James Jones had four catches for 81 yards and a touchdown in Green Bay’s season-opening 30-22 loss to the 49ers. He’s been telling himself he needs to do more of the same Saturday in a rematch in the divisional-round playoff game.

He keeps telling himself to do it, again and again. Out loud. And it doesn’t stop come game time.

“I remember Jabari Greer of the Saints walked by me, and I was talking to myself saying, ‘Stay open.’ He was like, ‘Hey, man, you all right?’ I told him, ‘Yeah, man, I’m good. Just staying focused.’ “

Jones has been better than good in his sixth season. He had a league-high 14 touchdown catches – as many as Pro Bowlers Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne had combined.

“He’s had a great season,” Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers said. “In my opinion, he at least should have gotten some Pro Bowl consideration.”

For Jones, staying motivated is crucial, as he doesn’t have the size (he’s 6-foot-1, 208 pounds) or speed of some of those guys who did make the Pro Bowl. What he does do is run clean, crisp routes and fight for the ball. This season, he stepped up with timely, highlight-reel touchdown catches when Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson were sidelined with injuries.

“A couple weeks ago, he made a tough one, kind of picking a ball off a defender’s head,” Rodgers said. “He’s done a really good job with his body control, making sure it’s his ball or nobody’s. It gives you a lot of confidence as a quarterback when he’s able to make some plays like that.”

Jones, 28, posted career-highs of 64 catches and 784 yards along with the 14 touchdowns – and after dropping 20 passes over the past three seasons, he had only three drops this year.

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy called Jones “San Jose proud,” saying, “James has a great work ethic. He has always put in his time and has always been ready for the opportunities. J.J. has clearly had not only his best season but one of the better seasons we’ve had here.”

The Packers drafted Jones in the third round of the 2007 draft, after his team-MVP season at San Jose State, where he had 70 receptions for 893 yard and 10 touchdowns.

Former Spartans coach Dick Tomey said he is “absolutely not” surprised that Jones led the league in TD receptions this season.

“He’s always worked hard,” Tomey said. “And he’s very strong and competitive. Plus, James is just an amazing person. He had an unbelievable childhood. … He’s not had an easy life.”

Jones spent his childhood moving around to different homeless shelters in San Jose with his mother. Those shelters each had a three-month maximum stay, and Jones remembers many nights going to sleep hungry at a cheap hotel or on a bus. The two begged for money and got by however they could.

When he was asked what his most-treasured possession was during his travels as kid, Jones told a Fox Sports reporter that it wasn’t a toy or an article of clothing.

“It had to be my mother,” he said. “I had opportunities to stay with my grandma at a young age, go stay with my dad. He was living in Fresno at the time. Whatever Mama went through, whatever was gonna happen, I was gonna be with her. No matter where we were, under a bridge or something, I felt I was safe.”

When he was 5, he told his mom that he was going to be an NFL football player, and he bought her a house shortly after he was drafted. Last summer, he signed a three-year, $9.4 million contract.